Here is the special thread completely devoted to all film casting and development updates. Please feel free to comment and add the lastest information for May, 2008.
Count Javier Bardem out of 'Nine' Actor leaves Rob Marshall's musical
By MICHAEL FLEMING
Javier Bardem has stepped out of the lead role of "Nine," the musical that "Chicago" helmer Rob Marshall will direct for the Weinstein Co.
Bardem was expected to play Guido Contini, a film director who experiences personal and creative crisis trying to balance all the women in his life.
Though his camp said that Bardem loved the script and the idea of working with Marshall, he pulled out because he is exhausted from work and awards season, and will take as long as a year to recharge his batteries.
Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard and Sophia Loren are still aboard to star, and Nicole Kidman and Judi Dench are reportedly negotiating to join them in the screen adaptation of a stage musical inspired by the Fellini film "8½."
Bardem was ready to make the film late last year, but "Nine" got postponed, along with several other high profile projects, because it needed refinements to the Michael Tolkin script that weren't possible because of the writer's strike.
"Javier personally asked me if we could move production to February, but we just couldn't do it," said TWC co-chairman Harvey Weinstein. "He is an amazing talent and I know we'll work together in the future, very soon."
Bardem will next be seen in TWC's Woody Allen-directed "Vicky Christina Barcelona," which will debut at the Cannes Film Festival.
Rodrigo Santoro will play his lover in the dark comedy
By Borys Kit
Rodrigo Santoro is getting serious with Jim Carrey. Santoro, best known for his portrayal of Xerxes in "300," is playing Carrey's lover in "I Love You, Phillip Morris."
Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, the scribes behind "Bad Santa," are directing.
The story centers on a married father (Carrey) who is sent to prison and falls in love with a cellmate named Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor). His love leads him to make several escape attempts. Leslie Mann already is on board as Carrey's wife.
Mad Chance's Andrew Lazar is producing with Far Shariat. Luc Besson's EuropaCorp. is fully financing, and Besson is executive producing. The movie is in production.
Santoro, repped by Gersh and Brillstein Entertainment, next appears in David Mamet's "Redbelt" and will be at next month's Festival de Cannes for director Steven Soderbergh's Che Guevara biopic "Che."
Kidman boards Dusty Springfield film Actress reunites with 'Hours' scribe for Fox 2000
By TATIANA SIEGEL
Nicole Kidman is tuning up for a film based on the life of British pop singer Dusty Springfield for Fox 2000.
Kidman will produce and star in the project, which will reunite the actress with scribe Michael Cunningham, who penned the novel "The Hours." Cunningham is currently writing the Springfield screenplay.
Kidman is producing the untitled project through her Fox-based Blossom Films banner. Kidman's Blossom Films partner Per Saari will serve in some producing capacity.
Universal is developing its own Dusty Springfield biopic with Kristin Chenoweth attached to star. That project is being written and directed by Jessica Sharzer. Madonna also flirted with a smallscreen project based on the singer.
Springfield was a solo artist who became a breakout star of the British invasion of the 1960s. Her personal life was more tragic, filled with bouts of drug and alcohol abuse and mental illness. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1995 and died in 1999.
Kidman has wrapped the epic adventure “Australia” opposite Hugh Jackman for 20th Century Fox.
Mendes swaps in Maggie Gyllenhaal Actress replaces Toni Collette in Focus comedy
By TATIANA SIEGEL
Maggie Gyllenhaal will replace Toni Collette in Sam Mendes' untitled relationship comedy for Focus Features.
Film, which stars John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph, is about a young couple who travel around the U.S. searching for a place to put down roots. Dave Eggers and wife Vendela Vida penned the original screenplay.
Gyllenhaal will play a bohemian college professor who is an old friend of the character played by Krasinski.
Collette dropped out of the film due to scheduling delays on the shoot, which recently got under way in Connecticut. Gyllenhaal begins lensing her role next week.
Gyllenhaal next appears in Warner Bros. summer tentpole "The Dark Knight" as Rachel Dawes, Batman's love interest.
She is repped by CAA, Benderspink and attorney Alan Hergott.
Demetri Martin heads to 'Woodstock' Comedian takes lead role in Ang Lee film
By TATIANA SIEGEL
Comedian Demetri Martin is in negotiations for the starring role in Ang Lee’s next project, “Taking Woodstock,” for Focus Features.
Martin is best known for his "Trendspotting" segment on "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart."
Film is based on Elliot Tiber's memoir, which is being adapted by Focus topper James Schamus. Tiber wrote the book -- which was published last year -- with Tom Monte.
Martin will star as Tiber, an in-the-closet gay man working at his parents' motel in the Catskills, who inadvertently sets in motion the generation-defining concert in the summer of 1969. Focus is eyeing a late August start date.
Martin's upcoming films include Fox Atomic's "The Rocker" and Universal's "Kids in America." He also wrote and is attached to star in DreamWorks' "Will," which Jon Stewart is exec producing.
Gandolfini, Coogan join 'Loop' Armando Iannucci makes directorial debut
By ALI JAAFAR
LONDON — James Gandolfini, Steve Coogan and Tom Hollander have joined the cast of Brit satirist Armando Iannucci’s feature directorial debut “In the Loop.”
Pic, which also stars Chris Addison, Peter Capaldi and Gina McKee, is a black comedy about the attempts by a U.S. general, played by Gandolfini, and British politico, played by Hollander, to stop the U.S. president and British prime minister from launching an ill-advised war.
BBC Films, the U.K. Film Council and Aramid Entertainment are producing with sales outfit Protagonist Pictures, the joint venture launched by Film4, Vertigo Films and financier Ingenious Media earlier this year, handling worldwide sales.
Brit distrib Optimum Releasing has already snapped the U.K. theatrical rights.
Principal photography began Thursday. Lensing will take place on location in London, Washington D.C. and New York.
Iannucci is best known in Blighty for his politically biting work on TV skeins such as “The Thick of it” and “The Day Today.” He was also one of the creative brains, along with Steve Coogan, behind the hit Brit laffer “Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge.”
“We hope that ‘In the Loop’ will make you cry with laughter — and possibly fear — as it takes you behind the scenes in the heart of the global political village,” said producer Kevin Loader.
Rick Yune has been cast as the antagonist in "Ninja Assassin," the Wachowskis-produced action film James McTeigue is directing for Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures. Joel Silver is producing via Dark Castle, while Grant Hill is producing.
Also boarding the production are Naomie Harris as the female lead and Ben Miles.
The martial arts extravaganza stars Korean actor-singer Rain, who also appears in the siblings' "Speed Racer," as a man brought up in an orphanage functioning as a ninja farm. The man turns his back on his tradition to make his way in the modern world, which brings him into conflict with a ninja (Yune) from the clan.
"Not to give too much away, (but) my character stays within what he was brought up with, and they go up against each other," Yune said. "I'm not a heavy. The characters are ninjas, they are assassins, and there's this mix of morality the Wachowskis are exploring."
Marvel unveils super schedule 'Iron Man 2,' 'Thor,' 'Avengers' on slate
By MARC GRASER
After a boffo bow for its first pic, "Iron Man," Marvel Studios has skedded a series of superhero follow-ups through 2011.
First up from the film division of the Marvel comicbook giant is an "Iron Man" sequel aimed to bow on April 30, 2010, planting the flag again on the start of the summer movie sesh.
Also for that year, Marvel plans to bow "Thor" on June 4, based on the Norse god who wields a giant hammer. Matthew Vaughn is set to helm.
In 2011, company will unspool "The First Avenger: Captain America" on May 6; and "The Avengers," which will team up the Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, Captain America and Thor characters, in July. Zak Penn is writing the latter.
Paramount will distrib all the pics, as part of its pact with Marvel.
Studios have yet to set a major tentpole on any of those dates, so the superhero pics face little if any competition so far.
Marvel's next self-financed pic, "The Incredible Hulk," smashes into multiplexes June 13, with Universal distribbing.
Company is essentially sitting out 2009 because of the development and production delays created by the winter's writers strike.
"Ant-Man" also is in development, with Edgar Wright attached to write and direct, but that project has yet to be dated.
"Iron Man's" $102 million domestic haul over its first four days boosted the confidence of the company, which is now ponying up the cash to produce its own pics in order to reap the financial rewards.
Sony and Fox collected much of the coin from the success of the "Spider-Man," "X-Men" and "Fantastic Four" films, all based on Marvel properties. A fourth Spidey is in the works.
"This is clearly a transformative time for Marvel," said Marvel Studios chairman David Maisel in a conference call with investors. "It was important for us to get much more control of our destiny and the ability to greenlight and make these movies on a predictable basis."
"Iron Man" already started to benefit Marvel's bottom line on Monday: Shares of parent Marvel Entertainment rose more than 9% to close at $33.10, a gain of $2.85.
Marvel's profits were down 3% in the first quarter that ended March 31, coming in at $45 million from nearly $47 million in the same year-ago period when "Spider-Man 3" was readying to swing into theaters.
Revenue declined 26% to $112.6 million from $151.4 million, with its publishing biz down 4% to $26.5 million, and licensing falling more than 29% to $84.6 million because of a dropoff in sales of "Spider-Man 3" merchandise and its licensing deal with Hasbro not generating as much coin as in the past.
Marvel Studios narrowed its losses from $3 million to $2 million. That's expected to drop even further now that the company can start adding B.O. to its earnings.
Overall, Marvel upped its outlook for the rest of the year, saying it expects profits to come in at around $104 million to $122 million on revenue of $370 million to $400 million. It previously forecast profits of between $100 million and $118 million.
Its forecasts do not include revs or costs tied to the B.O., homevid, television or media sales for the "Iron Man" or "Hulk" pics.
Trio flock to 'Pea****' Sarandon, Pullman, Lucas join cast of thriller
By TATIANA SIEGEL
Susan Sarandon, Bill Pullman and Josh Lucas have joined the cast of Mandate Pictures' psychological thriller "Pea****." Cillian Murphy and Ellen Page star.
Story takes place in a small town, where a quiet bank clerk's (Murphy) life is shattered by a train crashing into his back yard revealing a woman living there.
Michael Lander will direct from a script he co-wrote with Ryan Roy.
Barry Mendel is producing. Mandate's Nathan Kahane and Nicole Brown are exec producing. Mandate Intl. is selling foreign rights at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival.
Sarandon stars in Warner Bros.' upcoming "Speed Racer" and was most recently seen in Disney's "Enchanted."
Pullman starred in the Sundance pics "Phoebe in Wonderland" and "Bottle Shock." He also will be seen in Jennifer Lynch's "Surveillance," which will bow in Cannes this month.
Lucas is in production on Michael Cuesta's "Tell-Tale" and next can be seen in Boaz Yakin's "Death in Love." His production company, Two Bridges, recently wrapped "The Boy in the Box," in which he plays the single father of a mentally challenged boy.
Chris Wedge to direct 'Hugo Cabret' 'Ice Age' director adapting kid's novel for WB
By TATIANA SIEGEL
"Ice Age" helmer Chris Wedge has signed on to direct Brian Selznick's magic-themed children's novel "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" for Graham King's GK Films, Johnny Depp's Infinitum Nihil and Warner Bros.
"The Aviator" scribe John Logan has been tapped to pen the adaptation.
King and Infinitum Nihil's Christi Dembrowski will produce the live-action film, which centers on an orphaned boy who secretly lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station and looks after the clocks. He gets caught up in a mystery adventure when he attempts to repair a mechanical man.
The studio is eyeing a fall start date.
GK Films and Warner Bros. acquired screen rights to "The Invention of Hugo Cabret," a No. 1 New York Times bestseller, in 2007.
After producing Martin Scorsese's "The Departed," King launched GK Films with partner Tim Headington in 2007. Through the company, King recently completed lensing the Emily Blunt starrer "The Young Victoria" on location in the U.K.
Infinitum Nihil established its production deal with Graham King in 2004 and is developing a number of projects including "Shantaram" and "Dark Shadows."
Hedge has a longstanding relationship with "Ice Age" backers Blue Sky and 20th Century Fox, which is expected to continue. He also directed the animated feature "Robots" for Fox and most recently executive produced "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!"
Logan's credits include "Gladiator" and "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street." He is also writing the script for an untitled animated project for King and Gore Verbinski.
Common thread in 'Terminator' film Rapper to co-star in Warner Bros.' sequel
By TATIANA SIEGEL
Rapper Common has signed on to co-star in "Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins" for Halcyon Pictures.
Christian Bale and Sam Worthington have already boarded the project, which will be distributed by Warner Bros. domestically. Sony will release the film in most foreign territories.
Story centers on John Connor (Bale), now in his 30s, who leads what is left of the human race in a battle against the machines. Common will play a freedom fighter and member of Connor's inner circle.
McG will direct from a script by John D. Brancato & Michael Ferris and Paul Haggis.
Dan Lin, Mortiz Borman, Victor Kubicek, Jeff Silver, Derek Anderson and Jeanne Allgood are producing the film, which will bow May 22, 2009.
Common can next be seen onscreen in "Wanted," starring Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman and James McAvoy. Later this summer, he is set to release his eighth album, "Invincible Summer."
Ellen Page takes on 'Jane Erye' 'Juno' actress to star in BBC Film's adaptation
By ADAM DAWTREY
LONDON -- Ellen Page is set to play one of English literature's most famous characters, the eponymous heroine of Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre."
Alison Owen of Ruby Films, who most recently produced "The Other Boleyn Girl," is working with BBC Films to develop the new adaptation of Bronte's classic 19th century romance. It's the story of a mousy governess who softens the heart of her saturnine employer Mr Rochester, only to discover that he's hiding a terrible secret.
Moira Buffini has written the screenplay. No director is yet attached, but the producers are aiming to set the project up to shoot this fall.
"Jane Eyre" is one of the most adapted novels in English literature, with at least 20 previous film or TV versions. Most recently, the BBC itself made it into a miniseries which won three Emmys last year. The last big-screen adaptation in 1996 was directed by Franco Zeffirelli and starred Charlotte Gainsbourg.
Canadian-born Page received an Oscar nomination for her leading role in "Juno," and most recently starred in "Smart People."
Harrelson, Morton join 'Messenger' Moverman to shoot road movie
By ALI JAAFAR
LONDON — Woody Harrelson and Samantha Morton have joined the cast of Oren Moverman’s “The Messenger.”
The duo join the already announced Ben Foster (“3:10 to Yuma”), Jena Malone (“Into the Wild”) and Eamonn Walker (“Unbreakable”).
Principal photography on the road movie, which marks Moverman’s directorial debut after penning scripts for Todd Haynes’ Bob Dylan biopic “I’m Not There” and Ira Sachs’ “Married Life,” starts May 20.
Mark Gordon (“Saving Private Ryan”) and Lawrence Inglee are producing for the Mark Gordon Company, along with Reason Pictures’ Zach Miller. Script is by Moverman and Alessandro Camon.
Financing for the pic comes from Omnilab Media Group (“The Bank Job”) and Sherezade Films Development (“Flashbacks of a Fool.”)
ContentFilm Intl. will be handling sales of the project at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival.
Eva Mendes, Josh Hartnett and Ben Kingsley will star in Jonathan Jakubowicz's drug-trafficking drama "Queen of the South."
Elizabeth Avellan and Sandra Condito will produce the adaptation of Spanish writer Arturo Perez-Reverte's novel about a Mexican woman turned Spanish drug lord (Mendes) out to avenge her boyfriend's murder. Hartnett plays a Marine who gets involved in her business, and Kingsley plays a Russian businessman.
The project, once set up at Warner Independent, is now being independently financed by Winchester Capital in conjunction with Origen PC and Plural Entertainment. Essential Entertainment is handling international sales.
The leads are repped by CAA; Mendez is additionally repped by Management 360.
NEW YORK -- James Brolin is replacing James Caan in David O. Russell's "Nailed," with Kirstie Alley and Olivia Crocicchia also boarding the politically charged rom-com.
Caan departed the film three weeks ago, in large part because of a spat with Russell about the proper way for his politico character to choke on a cookie. Brolin can turn to his son Josh for advice: The younger Brolin will portray George W. Bush choking on a pretzel in a scene from Oliver Stone's upcoming biopic.
Alley will play a veterinarian who fails to remove a nail from the head of her niece (Jessica Biel). The injured woman travels to Washington to fight for better health care with the help of a disgruntled youth (Crocicchia) and falls for a congressman (Jake Gyllenhaal).
Brolin played a politician in Showtime's "The Reagans." Alley recently inked a deal with Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Prods. to develop TV projects.
Brolin is repped by ICM and Jeff Wald. Alley is repped by WMA and Untitled Entertainment. Crocicchia is repped by Rain Management Group.
Universal woos next Meyers movie Writer-director to produce comedy with Rudin
By MICHAEL FLEMING
Nancy Meyers will write and direct her next film at Universal. She will produce the untitled romantic comedy with Scott Rudin.
Meyers made her last two films -- "Something's Gotta Give" and "The Holiday" -- for Columbia.Meyers is keeping the plot under wraps but said the movie concerns marriage and follows a relationship over a long term. There are big parts, she added, for a woman and two men.
"We consider it a coup to have her make the movie here," said Universal Pictures chairman Marc Shmuger. "She is a singular voice."
Meyers said she will complete the script by August. It's her first collaboration with Rudin, whom Meyers said she has leaned on as an unofficial adviser on her projects for two decades.
While "The Holiday" was viewed in the U.S. as an expensive underperformer for Sony, Universal had a different experience. The studio acquired overseas rights for a capped investment, stressed the comedy and cast of the pic in its marketing and grossed $142 million (the film took in $63 million in the U.S.).
"I was less than thrilled by what the film did here but very happy with what it did overseas," Meyers said. "I worked very closely with (UPI prexy) David Kosse and Marc Shmuger and liked the attention they paid to the movie."
Graham to star in 'Ex-terminators' John Inwood to direct indie black dramedy
By DAVE MCNARY
Heather Graham, Jennifer Coolidge, Matthew Settle and Amber Heard will topline the indie black dramedy "Ex-terminators."
Film marks the feature directing debut of longtime "Scrubs" helmer and d.p. John Inwood.
Story revolves around three women who meet in an anger-management therapy group and decide to form a traditional business using very untraditional methods. Suzanne Weinert penned the screenplay.
Jay Michaelson, Lawren Sunderland and Weinert are producing the film, which is being financed by UTV Motion Pictures.
Brandon Routh set to play 'Dead' Kevin Munroe directing 'Dylan Dog' adaptation
By TATIANA SIEGEL
Brandon Routh is returning to the world of comicbook heroes.
The "Superman Returns" star will topline "Dead of Night," based on the bestselling Italian comicbook series "Dylan Dog," for Hyde Park and Platinum Studios.
Kevin Munroe will direct from a script by "Sahara" scribes Joshua Oppenheimer and Thomas Dean Donnelly.
Routh will play a private investigator who is drawn into the world of the undead.
Created by Tiziano Sclavi, "Dylan Dog" was first published in 1986 and has been translated into 17 languages.
Hyde Park topper Ashok Amritraj will produce alongside Platinum's Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, who brought the "Men in Black" franchise to Sony. Hyde Park's Patrick Aiello will exec produce alongside Randy Greenberg.
Hyde Park and Platinum have tapped Al Ovadia & Associates as worldwide agent for merchandising both the film and the comicbook property. The company has managed a number of merchandising programs, including Fox's global launch of "The Simpsons Movie."
Hyde Park is in production on the vidgame-based "Street Fighter," being directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak.
Platinum, which controls a library of more than 5,600 comicbook characters, is developing a number of projects including "Atlantis Rising" at DreamWorks and "Unique" at Walt Disney Pictures.
Routh can next be seen alongside Billy Bob Thornton and Kim Basinger in drama "The Informers."
Johnny Knoxville and Parker Posey are attached to star in John Waters' Christmas film "Fruitcake."
The plot is officially under wraps but is said to center on the title character, a boy named after his favorite dessert. He runs away from home during the holidays after he and his parents are caught shoplifting meat, then meets up with a runaway girl raised by two gay men and searching for her birth mother.
This Is That Prods. and Killer Films are producing "Fruitcake," which once was set up at New Line. ThinkFilm is said to be in talks to come aboard.
